Marseilles,France

I don't have a recent "France" book, so can't comment, but he does give several pages in the Provence and French Riviera book. I don't think he doesn't recommend, it is just that not everything can fit in a book about the entire country. Much like the Michelin Green books there is much more local information in the local books. After all, the regional books are each nearly the same size as the national book - something has to give in the national book....

He seems to cover Marsielle in more detail in his Provence book. RS's style seems to be prioritizing major sights/places for people who are generally on a first-time trip to an area, so in his opinion, it does seem that Marsielle doesn't make the cut. Given that RS's audience tends to be older North American adults, it kind of makes sense. Compared to other major cities in France, Marsielle is a bit grungy and has a comparitvely high crime rate (still not nearly as bad as most major cities in the U.S., of course). It's more of a working city than a tourist destination, and the "sights" can generally be seen in a day or two, so I'm guessing for those reasons and others he probably doesn't chose to have it as a major destination for his general France or Europe books. That said, I personally like Marsielle - I find it vibrant, the people there are the friendliest I've met in France, the food is fantastic (birthplace of bouillabaisse after all, and as a historically important port city there's a lot of fantastic African and Middle Eastern food too), the culture and feel of the city is unique in Provence and France. Were you thinking of staying in Marsielle or just wondering if it's worth a stop? I would at least recommend to people who are heading from Paris to Nice (or some other destination on the Cote D'Azur) to at least consider stopping in Marsielle for lunch at the Vieux Port and to pick up some soap in the Panier quarter. It's like a 5 minute subway ride from the train station to the Vieux Port. It's a nice way to break up a long train ride and gives you at least a glimpse of the city.

Julia Child lived in Marseilles, and talks about it some in her memoir "My Life in France." It doesn't get the coverage that Paris does, but you might find it interesting. Great book, btw.

Thank you all for your comments. We will be traveling from Paris to Italy by way of the South of France. We are looking to stay 2 or 3 nights in the area around Nice before departing.
Cheryl

In that case, Cheryl, provided you get an early start from Paris, a quick stop in Marsielle is do-able. I'll expound on my favorite 2-3 hours in the city. From the train station, take the metro to Vieux Port. Right across the street and down the block is La Kahena, an affordable and delicious Moroccan cafe. You can sit outside and have your lunch of couscous and delicious meats with the semi-surly but secretly nice waitstaff. From there, walk down Rue De La Republique to Place Sadi Carnot. On the left you'll see a steep staircase. Hike up it, and you're in the Panier Quartier. Wander around a little (it's not a huge neighborhood). Head down Rue De Panier to the big plaza, walk through it and you'll be at 72% Petanque, where you can get a ton of the amazing, famous Marsielle soap for very good prices. (Marsielle is not Paris - deals abound!) From there, if you're tired stop for a coffee or glass of wine at the plaza on Rue De Panier, then walk on to the Marsielle Cathedral, well worth a quick 15 minute look. From there, head on downhill on one of the small streets or staircases towards the Vieux Port, ending up on Quai du Porte and walking back up along the harbor towards the metro stop. Back to the train station with plenty of time to catch the next leg, feeling refreshed and having seen some sights. If you have more time, you could take advantage of one of the city's cheap hotel rooms and have time for a boat ride to the beautiful calenques (mini-fjords) between Marsielle and Cassis, or see the other big church, Notre Dame De La Garde, and then continue with your trip towards Nice the next day.

I would add to Sarah's excellent tour the St. Victor Abbey.
It has old pre-Christian carvings in the crypt, Roman artifacts, a black Virgin, etc. And the bakery across the street sells famous "navettes" orange flower flavored biscotti, which are part of a February ritual against sore throats.

I was about to ask the same question, when I saw this post. Cheryl, thank you for asking; everyone else, thanks for your ideas. We are taking a two week river cruise of France in April, ending in Avignon, and are extending for two days in Marseilles. We just got RS France 2012, and were dismayed when we found nothing about this area. Has anyone taken the boat ride out to Château D'If, the 16th-century island fortress where the Count of Monte Cristo was (fictionally) imprisoned? Is it worth the time? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Eugene, Regarding Chateau d'If, I think you're largely at the mercy of the weather. When I was in Marseilles (for an entire 8 hours...) we couldn't make the trip out because it was too windy or something. If you have a few days, you probably have better odds of getting out there. With that said, since the weather precluded me from visiting, I can't say if it's worth the effort. Hopefully someone else has better information!

We were in Marseilles for 3 nights in late September a couple of years ago and really liked it. We drove it from Provence (Arles) which was a really easy drive - until we got into Marseilles and couldn't find our hotel. But with the help of some very pleasant locals, voila! Weather there was perfect too. 1 or 2 nights is more than sufficient. I also highly recommend staying in a hotel on Vieux Port. Some are quite affordable. We stayed at the Hotel de Vieux Port which was very reasonable but it has gone up in price since then because of massive renovations & updating. But the view of the old port from our balcony room on the top floor was fantastic! Also check for hotels on Trip Advisor for great reviews by people like us. Morning Fish market on the Port is really fun too. I also highly recommend you visit Notre Dame De La Garde. It's also a magnificent place. The marble work is unbelievable.We took a bus up there and the views are out of this world. We walked back down the "hill" (!) to the hotel which was fun but very very tiring. For many of our trips I use Rick's books exclusively. However, I also visit our local library and get Fodor's or Frommer's books too...and just make photocopies of some the cities/sites that Rick may not include. Have fun.

I agree with those who like Marseilles. The Vieux Port is beautiful, and walking from there to surrounding areas is worth doing, including visiting the Le Pannier area.

Sarah's post rocked! I wrote everything down and will use all this info when we go in June! Thanks